Chapter 11

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After a week he finally asked his parents whether they could call his college and ask for a different room. He didn't want to force Jimin to move out and so he wanted to instead.

Luckily there was one more room that had space in it. Taehyung got the option of talking to his eventual new roommate and find out whether he'd feel comfortable with sharing a room with him.

Which was why, on the next Friday, he packed his suitcase again and drove back to his college. When he got there it was just ten am and he knew Jimin would be in class, so he didn't really think much about it when he opened the door to their once shared room, just to freeze in place.

Jimin was lying on his bed, reading a book. When Taehyung opened the door his head shot up, so many hard to read emotions crossing over his face when he made eye contact.

"I... I'm sorry... I didn't think you'd be here." Taehyung spluttered, his hands shaking around the grip of his suitcase.

"Wait, Taehyung." Jimin was on his feet in the fracture of a second, hoping he could stop Taehyung from running off again.

The tone of his voice was what stopped Taehyung. Jimin didn't sound... angry or scared. Worried. He sounded very worried with a trace of despair. He crossed the room in no time before throwing his arms around the confused boy. "Please... please don't run off. I need to talk to you!"

If it weren't for the way he said it, Taehyung would have felt dread at the words.

But his mind was having problems even comprehending why Jimin would hug him after he found out. It was almost like he never had.

"I... I don't know if I want to." Taehyung admitted. He couldn't bear hearing that he was disgusting. He was scared. Because he knew Jimin's words could hurt him deeply to the point of no repair.

"Please." Jimin begged, grabbing Taehyung's hands with his own. "I promise it's not bad... I'm not... I'm not scared of you if that's what you're worried about."

A spark of hope went through Taehyung's stomach. Jimin looked like he meant it. Still there was hesitance. He was feeling vulnerable and he was scared of hearing something that would put him in a bad place.

"I don't know." Taehyung repeated and he wasn't lying.

Jimin frowned before pulling Taehyung into the room. There was little resistance from the taller. "You don't have to talk... just listen to me, okay Taehyungie?"

Taehyung's head shot up at the nickname. He hadn't expected to be hearing it ever again, at least not from Jimin's lips. The small sign of affection gave him the strength to nod. "Okay."

Jimin pulled him to sit onto the bed, not letting his hand go for even a second. Taehyung kept avoiding Jimin's eyes but the older began talking anyways.

"First off I want you to know that I really meant it when I said I'm not scared. I was for a second when I saw you like that but it was more because I thought I knew everything about you and suddenly there was so much I didn't know and I started worrying what else there was." He took a deep breath. "Second... I'm sorry that I made you feel like you couldn't tell me. I was childish and an asshole and I hurt you. I'm really sorry for that." Taehyung still didn't lift his head, but Jimin could see the way his posture changed. He looked a bit less tense.

"You're not childish or an asshole..."

"I am." Jimin stated before continuing. He wanted all he wanted to get out there, out there before Taehyung could run off again. "Third I'm so sorry for all that shit I said. I didn't know anything but assumed I did and I attacked you so many times without even realizing." Jimin brushed his thumb over the back of Taehyung's hand. "I spent the last couple of days learning a lot of new things about... you and your... species doesn't feel right to say because you're a normal human being... people who are like you. And I know I was super hysteric in the past with absolutely no reason to be. It's not really scary once you learn more about it, you know. Sorry for making it sound like it was something you should feel ashamed of." Jimin's throat tightened and he could feel tears sting in his eyes.

He was such a bad friend.

"It's okay." For the first time, Taehyung reacted, reassuringly holding Jimin's hand a bit tighter.

"I'm so sorry." Jimin sniffled, tears now actually falling down his cheeks. Catching in his eyelashes and blurring his view.

Taehyung wrapped his arms around Jimin tightly, holding the boy. "Shhh it's okay." His voice was soft and soothing as he brushed his hand over Jimin's hair, before pecking the boy's cheek. "I have long forgiven you."

Jimin shook his head. "It's not okay. I was such an asshole and I didn't even notice. I never meant to be mean towards you. You're all I care about."

He could feel Taehyung's grip tighten around him. "You didn't know. You couldn't have known. I never told you."

Gathering all of his courage Jimin sat back on the bed. He didn't want there to be any secrets anymore. He wanted to be completely honest with Taehyung. Make sure the boy felt like he could tell Jimin everything, because Jimin wanted to be there for him no matter what it was about.

"I have..." He took a deep shaky breath. "I have something I have to tell you."

Taehyung nodded, his hands grabbing Jimin's as they sat there in silence while Jimin worked up the courage to tell Taehyung. "I lo... like you. A lot. As in more than just friendship. I have for a long time, but I thought maybe I should be honest too, after just finding out something like..." He gestured at Taehyung's everything while Taehyung just sat there frozen. Eyes wide.

It took him a long time to say anything and when he did it was nothing more than a whisper. "Why tell me now? You know about how..." He didn't finish his sentence.

"Because that doesn't change anything. You're still the same person and I'm sick of keeping this secret. I understand if you don't feel the same. If you wouldn't want to date me after all I've... said in the past." Jimin explained. "You can simply ignore it and we'll keep being friends. I'm used to having a one sided crush on you. As long as I get to spend time with you I'm totally okay with it."

"...one sided." Taehyung mumbled something Jimin didn't properly catch.

"What?"

"It's not one sided." Taehyung repeated a bit louder, his eyes staring deep into Jimin's.

Jimin almost choked on his spit. For some reason he'd always assumed that it could only have been. After all he hadn't even put an effort into hiding how much Taehyung meant to him. He'd assumed that if Taehyung did actually even notice him as a love interest he would have gotten his point across by now. "But why didn't you...?" Jimin asked, his heart racing in his chest. Did this mean he might have a chance with Taehyung? Maybe they'd have their own little happy end after all.

The whole tentacle stuff they'd have to work through, but Jimin probably just had to get used to that new information.

"Because I knew how much you hated them. As friends I was able to avoid you getting into contact with them. It was a bit hard at times, but manageable. But dating... I wouldn't have wanted to lie to your face about this. At some point they would have come out and I was scared you'd hate me. I didn't want to risk that." Taehyung admitted, looking down at the floor again.

Jimin let out a giggle that was somewhat amused somewhat sad. "So what you're saying is I was the one cockblocking myself this whole time? The only thing I would have had to do was make sure you knew that you could tell me everything?"

Taehyung smiled. "I already knew that. I told you everything. That was the only thing I ever kept from you."

Jimin sighed. "Mina... you told her, didn't you?"

Taehyung nodded. "I didn't want to sleep with someone without telling them about the risk. Because even though I do have pretty great control over them there is a chance that at some point when I'm not focusing enough they might just get what they want. It might not have happened that first night or in the months following it, but if it had happened at some point without me even telling her what she was getting herself into, I would have never been able to forgive myself."

"What about the girl after her? Lu?"

"I didn't tell her. We didn't date that long either. To many secrets and I wasn't the most enthusiastic after the whole Mina thing... she ran out on me you know. She just looked at me like I was going to hurt her and then she left looking like she'd just tricked the devil into letting her go."

"So not telling Lu was okay?" There was no malice in Jimin's tone. He didn't ask in a judging way. It was curiosity. Curiosity about things he'd never hear from his best friend.

"It wasn't okay. I felt guilty about it a lot. But... I didn't have the energy to see that face again. It hurts... I know that they're not bad... my tentacles... they don't mean to do harm, but hearing it often enough also makes you feel like there might be some truth to it." Taehyung stated and Jimin could see the hurt in his eyes. It made his own heart ache. He was one of the people who'd made Taehyung feel like that.

"Could I see them again?"

A/N

I love this!

How do you like the story so far?<3